Process for the prevention of adherence of moist particles



M. F. MANGELSDORFF.

PROCESS FOR THE PREVENTION OF ADHERENCP 0F MOIST PARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20 I918.

Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

] vwenfo c M. F. MANGELSDORFF.

PROCESS'FOR THE PREVENTION OF ADHERENCE 0F MOIST PARTICLES. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20. 1918. 1,400,176.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

mmi I I I QM w a a I n Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

mm QM mm mm S I ha 5 W 22? a v economic properties of the UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

m I. KAHGEIBDGBFI', 0! UNION HILL, NEW JERSEY.

PROCESS FOR THE TREVEN'TION OF ADHEBENCE OF MOIST PARTICLES.

Particles, ,of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact specification.

My process relatesto the treatment of moist particles and refers articularly to the treatment of moist partic es having a tendency to adhere to each other. 7

no object of my invention is a process whereby moist particles may be treated to prevent the adherence of the particles durmg their drying. v v

Another 'bject of my invention is a process whereby moist particles may be so treated that they may be dried in' a condition in which the particles are free from eachother. Another object of my invention is a process whereby particles may be passed continuously from a steaming treatment to a drier and treated to'prevent the adherence of the particles during the drying.

Another object of my invention is a, process whereby the adhesive properties of moist particles may be rendered inactive and allow of the drying of the particle free from adherence.

These and other objects of my invention will be evident upon a consideration of my specification, claims and drawings. I

It is frequently desirable to dry moist materials having gelatinous, starchy or similar properties in such ,a manner that the dried particles of the material will be separated from each other, and in order to accomplish this, it is necessary to overcome, or

revent, the action of the starchy or muciaginous materials during the drying. treatment.

Among the importantmaterials to which such treatment is necessary are vegetables and fruits, the drying of which presents greatest value.

In the drying'of vegetables and fruits, it is essential that none of the natural properties, or contents, be changed, inorder that all of the normal food values and tasting qualities may be retained.

In explaining my process, I will refer par Specification of Letters Patent.

into a condition whi Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

Application filed September 29, 1918. Serial No. 864,960.

ticularly to potatoes, although my rocess is in no way limited to that vegeta le.

The preferred method of drying potatoes, is to shoe them, subject them ,to hot water or steam and then dry them in such a manner that each particle, or slice, is thoroughly and free from adherence to other s ices.

These desired results are impossible to obtain, if the potatoes are simply sliced,

steamed and dried, as the starchy ingredients of the potato cause the slices to adhere to each other during the drying process, thus preventin uniform drying and presenting the drie material in masses of irregular size and shape, preventing econom1c packing and handling and giving them an unattractive appearance.

It is to be further noted'that any process to which the potatoes are subjected must be .of such a character as to retain the ingredients of the vegetable in an unchanged condition in order that the dried product may be equal to, and have the characteristics of, the original undried article.

7 The process of my invention overcomes all of the above objections and. produces all of the above desired results and presents a. method whereby potatoes, and similar products, may be dried with the retention of all of the original pro erties of the products while maintaining t e particles in a condition free from adherence .to each other.

I have foundthatif cool air, preferably moist,,be-impinged upon, or brought into contact with, the hot moist slices of the vegetable, or similar products, that the exterior surface of the articles is converted (Eh will overcome the previously existin tendency of adherence and allow the particles to be' dried in a conditionfree from each other.

The use'of air instead of hot water for the purposes described in this application has valuable economic advantages among which are the fact that it obviates the necessity of hot water operation and allowsv the particles to be continuously passed from the steaming operation to the drying chamber without manual manipulation and with essary ingredient ofthe particles are abthe hot water but all of these 'mgredients the vegetable products.

The process of my invention, therefore, comprises bringing the hot moist particles into contact w1th cool air, the conditlons of treatment and the temperature ofthe products and of the air belng dependent upon the articles treated and the particuar apparatus employed. I

In the accompanying drawings, lllustrating modified forms of an apparatus suitable for the carrying out of my invention, s1m1- ar parts 1 are designated by similar numerals:

one orm. of an apparatus suitable for my process.

Fig. 2 is a section throughthe line 2.-2 of ig. 4 is a diagrammatic drawing of a- THOdlfiGd form of an apparatus suitable for the bottom of the my process.

Fig. 3 is a broken detail of the belt con- 'veyer of Figs. 1 and 4. The device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a treating box 10, having the chute 11, connected with the steamer 12. The chute 11 contains the revoluble delivering member 13, revoluble by means of any suitable means, the wings of the member 13 having but slight clearance from the sides of the chute 11, in order to prevent the air within the box 10 from passing into the, steamer 12.

The pipe 14 connects the delivering end of the airy blower 15 with the box 10. The pipe 16 connects the'box 10 with the pipe 17 which is connected to the intake end of the blower 15. into the pipes 18 and 19 which openinto the atmosphere.v A thermostat 20 operates the damper 21 in such. a manner as to control the temperature of the air deliveredby the blower 15 into the box 10. Opening into the pipe 17 is the'water pipe 22, having the valve 23; and carrying the sprayer, or atom,- izer', 24 at its lower extremity. The chute 25 connects the box 10 with a drier, notshown, and contains a revoluble delivering member 26, revoluble by means of any suitable means, the wings of the member 26 having but slight clearance from the sides of the chute 25, in 'order to prevent the air within the box '10 from passing into the drier. A water trap 27 is connected with box 10, and a door 28, opening into the box 10, allows of the. removal of any particles that have" fallen through the perforated belt.

xtending across the interior of the box 10, and revoluble therein, is a series of shafts '30, 30, connected with a source ofv revoluble power, not shown. Fixedly attached to each shaft 30 is a cylindrical member 31. Intermediate of the shafts 30, 30

Fi ure 1 is a diagrammatic drawing of assuming that sliced potatoes are duced through the The pipe 17 extends outwardly 10 moist a1r delivered by the pump attached to the shafts 35,35 revolublysupported by the sides'of the box 10. A chain belt 36 passes above and upon the cylinders 31 31, below the flanges the idlers 34, 34, the revolution of the cylinders 31,31 causing the belt to pass continuously over the cylinders 31, 31, under the flanges 33, 33 and under the idlers 34, 34.

The operation of the device is as follows,

the particles to be treated The blower 15 is started, and water intropipe 22 and the sprayer 24. The delivering member 13 is revolved, feeding the sliced potatoes through the chute 11 into the box 10, upon the chain belt 36 which carries the particles across the box 10 and delivers them into the chute they are delivered into the drier by means of the delivering member 26. The rapidity of the movement of the particles'through the chute 11 is equal to the .rapidity of the movement of the particles through the chute 25, this rapidity of movement being governed by the speed of revolution of the delivering members 13 and 26 respectively. As the particles pass down the chute 11, the-cool moist air passing through the pipe 14 is impinged directly upon them the action of cool throughout their moist ir being maintained passage, through the box en the temperature of the air passing through the pipe 17 is greater than the desired temperature, the thermostat 20 moves the damper 21, closing of the pipe 17, thus causing'a greater proportion of cool air to enter through the pipe 19. When the temperature of the air passing through the pipe '17 is less than the required temperature, the thermostat will move the damper 21,. closing oif the pipe 19, amount of cool air drawn through the pipe 19 and increasing the amount of-warm air drawn from the pi 16.

In the modificatlon .of the device, shown in Fig. 4, the cool moist 'air'passes through the pipe 14 andis'bro'ught into contact with the particles upon belt 36, after they have traversed'the length of the box 10, the par.-

perature from that of entrance 10, bef

into the box ore they are treated with the cool From the above description, it is seen'that in my process of treating hot moistparticles, thg terrrperature of said particles is suddenly re uce 25, whence 33, 33 and below j thus reducing the I by means of cool air before their en- I trance into the drying chamber. r

I do not limit myself tothe particular method described, nor to the particular apparatus shown and described, both of which may be varied without going beyond the scope of my invention.

What I claim is 1. The process of producing dry inadhering vegetable particles which comprises heating the particles in the presence of a moist medium, subjecting the heating particles to the action of a current of cool moist air and drying the particles.

heating the particles in the presence of 15 water, removing the heated particles from the volume of water, subjecting the heated particles to the action of a current of cool .moist air and drying the cooled particles.

Signed at Albion, in the county of Orleans 20 and State of New York this 17th day of September, 1918.

MAX F. MANGELSDORFF. 

